Happier days? Can’t speak for Bov, but no not for me! The 90’s were, in the main, dreadful as a City fan, a downward spiral punctuated by false dawns that only made each further plummet all the more galling. I’ve no desire whatsoever to go back to routinely being thumped and mocked by United, or watching Frank Clark choose between Barry Conlon or Ray Kelly as his star striker. I’ve no doubt there were some good away days for the fans in the third division, but my recollection is that sitting around 12th at Christmas with the club facing extinction was not much fun at all.
As for the early 2000’s yep the season under Keegan in the championship was great, but that soon faded thanks to some loopy transfer dealings and we were back in the mire. The season under Pearce when we barely mustered a goal was as dismal a footballing display as you’re ever likely to see, and then what do we know, we wind up back in a situation, where, were it not for Sheikh Mansoor’s intervention, the club could have gone to the wall within a matter of weeks. The AC Milan friendly just prior to the takeover, with Danny Mills telling national TV that we were facing a 'fire sale' was a particularly depressing low point.
The only thing that kept most fans going during those years was the dream that things might one day get better, and the flashes of brilliance from Kinkladze, Ali B, Berkovic etc. Now we get to watch a whole team of players of that ilk, and better, do their stuff every single week and live that dream of winning trophies and competing with the best. Why anyone would want to go back is beyond me. No we don’t have a team full of local homegrown players, but that hasn’t been the case for nearly 25 years, so if we’re going to have non Mancunians making up the side, I’d rather they were the best we could possibly get. I have just as much affinity with Zabba, Kompany, Silva, Aguero etc as I do with any other player in my time supporting the club, and I would rather have Mansoor and what he is doing for my club than a Swales or his ilk any day of the week. The journey was a story and a half, but the destination is well worth it.
_________________ Knowing M.E, Knowing You.. Ah Ha!
David Silva loves Bakewell Tarts the best He'll eat a box and leave none for the rest De Gea's doughnuts never look the part next to Silva's Bakewell Tart!
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